The present invention relates to a heat switch for switching between heat transmission and interruption of heat transmission between a hot zone and a cold zone. This technique can be used for controlling heat transmission (On) to and interruption of heat transmission (Off) of an electronic device and the like.
Members (superconducting members) made of superconducting material may be used for an electronic device and the like in some cases.
Such superconducting members are necessary to be maintained in an environment of an extremely low operating temperature. Therefore, a refrigerator that functions as a cold zone is used and a cold head of the refrigerator and the superconducting member to be cooled are connected through a heat pipe to maintain heat transmission between them. However, energy consumption increases when the refrigerator is always operating. Because the superconducting member has low resistance and a low calorific value, it is possible to maintain a heat conductive member in the operating environment of the extremely low temperature for a while by only interrupting the heat transmission to the superconducting member from the refrigerator even if operation of the refrigerator is stopped. At this time, a change-over switch for switching between heat transmission and interruption of heat transmission between the heat conductive member and the cold head of the refrigerator is necessary.
Although contact of and separation between a switch piece and a solid contact is used in a conventionally-conceived heat switch, incorporating such a change-over switch that requires mechanical movement into a minute electronic device adds many constraints to a structure and driving of the switch piece involves vibration or heat generation in many cases. Therefore, development of a change-over switch that can reliably switch between heat transmission and interruption of heat transmission, does not require contact of and separation between the switch piece and the solid contact, and does not generate heat or vibration during operation of the switch is desired.
The present invention has been accomplished with the above circumstance in view and it is an object of the invention to provide a change-over switch for heat transmission that can reliably switch between heat transmission and interruption of heat transmission, does not require contact of and separation between a switch piece and a solid contact, can be easily incorporated into a minute electronic device, and does not generate heat and/or vibration during operation of the switch.
Corresponding to the object, an active heat control heat switch system of the present invention includes a heat pipe having a pipe that can contain heating medium and disposed between a hot zone and a cold zone, and a heating medium supply and exhaust device for supplying and exhausting the heating medium to and from the pipe, wherein the system transmits heat and interrupts heat transmission between the intense heat source and the cold heat source through the heat pipe by switching between supplying and exhausting of the heating medium to and from the pipe by using the heating medium supply and exhaust device.